Thursday, October 30, 2014

Congratulations to Russell Norman for his swift action in putting down a rabid dog aka Green MP Steffan Browning for his contribution to medical research by suggesting that Ebola could be cured by homeopathy.

Fascinating to note that Browning is the Green's spokesthinggy on Bio-Security as well as Security and Intelligence matters. Worrying actually .... especially the 'intelligence' bit.

Possibly explained by their support for the legalisation of cannabis and more proof that it addles the brain .... and the Greens expect to be taken seriously as a political force!!!!! .... farce more like it.

Vernon Small considers it "testament to the prime minister's political savvy" that he declared alleviating child poverty a top priority of his third term in government, but adds "Whether he and his ministers have the answers, though, is less certain..."

Oh, I think we can be certain about it. Key's new-found interest in child poverty amounts to a breathtaking act of political cynicism - once the dust's settled on the election, it'll be back to not giving a shit.

Here's why: to do something about child poverty, you need to reduce unemployment to the point where only the certifiably-unemployable are unemployed, make sure that the work that is available consists largely of full-time work, not casual zero-hour contracts for mcjobs, and make sure that full-time employment pays enough to live on (in terms of both wage levels and living costs like, duh, housing). It's only once you've got those sorted that you can force wasters off benefits without just swapping beneficiaries for beggars, junkies and petty crims.

So, who among our readership envisages John Key embarking on an immediate and urgent programme of growth in full-time employment, stable working conditions, higher wages and lower housing costs? All of these are the exact opposite of National's political interests. As the party of employers, property owners and farmers, National's interest is in maintaining a significant level of unemployment, keeping wages and working conditions as low as possible, and ensuring that property values consistently increase. Child poverty is an inevitable outcome of the successful pursuit of those interests, so there's no way for Key to do anything about child poverty while remaining true to National's constituency.

My money's on a continued determination to avoid any attempt to actually measure poverty, while mounting a vigorous campaign to force people off benefits. Just watch - "reduced number on benefits" will be how the government chooses to measure progress on this issue.

Originally started as a save our economic lifestyle over 20 years ago by four wives of farmers facing the new economic order following the Douglas reforms.

Now well into the next generation and at the current location of Wynyard east of Culverden this big day on the North Canterbury calendar will have thousands of chattering women in thousands of cars on the roads of the rural hinterland that can have anything the spring weather offers.

Culverden can and does top the daily temperature charts, it also is where the Nor West wind can wreak its destructive force as many idle pivot irrigators proved a couple of years ago.

Originally this event was held in the grounds of the historic homestead of one of the Amuri Wool Kings, Duncan Rutherford at Leslie Hills and much of the initial impetus came from family and friends of the four women by word of mouth.
Boy has that been overtaken by events.

You have been warned, North Canterbury is no place for uninterrupted travel today, the quiet rural roads with fleets of milk tankers as the main users will have gridlock in places.

Caught very little of the real world yesterday but did see snippets of Question 1 "To the Prime Minister" from the pretender.

Now we are as a nation considering our possible involvement in the belated international response to the radical islamist inspired action to create a Caliphate across northern Syria and Iraq.
We are addressing insufficiency of benefit availability to children of dropkick parents.
We are commencing a new term of our legislature that will in around twelve/eighteen months time go into moth balls as the 2017 election becomes the biggest thing on the political Radar.
We have a government with a large bunch of newbies in the firing line.
We have a serious decline in the international price of our dominant export commodity.
We have a threat to our involvement in the TPP negotiations as the US and Japan try to make a deal in the lobby.
We have at long last a tinkering around some of the more inane rules in the national workplace.

What does the whiney XXXX Ginga think is worthy of the leadout for the only real opportunity for any opposition to make an impact, none of the above.
Nope the pretender to the leadership of Her Majesties "Loyal" opposition sets out on a fruitless path to regurgitate what the electorate overwhelmingly tossed into the garbage bin on Sept 20th.

Oi you useless troughing POS nobody is listening any more to the scurrilous innuendo Hagar tried to use to derail the Re-election of Key's Government.

Who anyone talks to in efforts to understand what is happening and what needs to be circulated to promote their agenda is of no consequence, that is why Cabinet and so much evidence in the courts is "privileged".
If we could access the personal and private exchanges of anyone in government, local/national, right/left, labour/National or even the rabble fighting over the 25% left over from the two main parties it would be merely interesting, possible titillating and even, as with Slaters stolen data possibly damaging, when selectively released in isolation.

However as the subject of Question one of the most public and central option for the opposition to be trying to call the government to account it was just more excrement into the settling pond.

If that is what is important to you then could I suggest you hand in your seat to Mr Speaker and head back to the rock in Queensland you crawled out from under, as you have yet again proved what a useless impotent innocuous total waste of resources you actually are.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Over the weekend I was alerted by my Australian Vietnam veteran brother-in-law to the furore that has broken out following claims by a 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion Platoon Commander that there was a deliberate cover-up following the shooting of unarmed civilians, including women and children, in an ambush where he was the commander. You can read reports of the claim and counter-claim here and here.

I need to declare an interest. The incident happened in October 1967. Five months later I went to Vietnam two months ahead of my own Company (Victor 3) where I was attached to A Company (the sub-unit involved) to listen and learn. I spent most of my time at Company Headquarters. The dramatis personaeand particularly Major White are known to me. I endorse the comments of others that he (White) was an extremely competent and respected commander. My memory of Lieutenant Morris is less vivid. This post is in response to that association. Let's examine what happened.

Fact: On 23 October 1967 a patrol led by Morris ambushed a track close to the 1 Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat. The ambush was sprung at dawn when a party of locals, later identified as bamboo cutters, moved into the killing zone. Included in the party were women and children. Five were killed and six were wounded. The incident is recorded in the Battalion's War Diary lodged at the Australian National War Memorial in Canberra. Fact: The ambush was located insideLine Alpha. Line Alpha delineated an area adjacent to the 1 ATF base out to enemy mortar range that had been cleared of civilians. Civilian entry to the zone was restricted and limited to daylight hours. Anyone transiting the zone during night hours could expect to be engaged. It was not however a 'free fire zone'. During daylight the 'Rules of Engagement' applied. Essentially they required you to identify people transiting the zone as enemy before engaging them made difficult by the fact that both civilians and the VC C41 Chau Duc local force Company wore the same black drab peasant garb.

The Morris Allegation: That the six bodies were evacuated by helicopter and possibly dumped at sea. That White (back at Nui Dat) told him that he should have 'dressed' the bodies with captured weapons to make them appear as VC. That he (Morris) included that detail in his 'After Action Report' (standard Report compiled after any contact) which was subsequently altered by White to exclude the allegation.

Comment: The is absolutely no evidence advanced to support the suggestion the bodies were dumped at sea (the South China Sea is about 30k from the ambush site). Helicopter support for the Taskforce was provided by 9 Squadron RAAF which included RNZAF pilots. Helicopters were a scarce resource. It is virtually impossible for them to have been tasked for such a mission and, if it had occurred, that certainly would have been the talk of the Squadron . Much more plausible would have been for the dead and wounded to have been evacuated to a civilian hospital at Baria (10k) or Vung Tau (30k distant) but again, there is no hard evidence to support this or even that helicopters were involved.

As to the allegation that White told Morris that he should have dressed the bodies with captured enemy weapons. That is simply laughable. No patrol would ever go out carrying captured enemy weapons on the off chance that they might have to 'plant' them. You were burdened enough with weapons, ammunition, claymore mines, HE and smoke grenades, M72 LAWs and M79 grenade launchers, radios and your personal kit to have to worry about having to carry extra weight. During my time in Vietnam and working both with Australians and New Zealanders I never saw an enemy weapon carried by us on operations.

It does concern me that Morris waited 47 years to make the allegations and against a man who is dead and can't defend himself.

So what might have caused Morris to speak out.? Perhaps the answer might lie in what he may have judged to be his own command failings and the need to justify/atone for them. As the ambush commander the buck stopped with him. Did he properly brief the patrol on the RoE which required them to identify the party as enemy before opening fire? Did he make the allegation to take the heat off himself? But I need to immediately qualify that proposition by referring to the 'fog of war'. It's too easy to apportion blame in retrospect. It was dawn; we don't know the state of the light or weather; they were in a restricted zone; 'they' were wearing black; the enemy wore black. The machine gunner who initiated the ambush had to make a split moment decision. Clearly he got it wrong. Yes, it would have been a hugely traumatic event for all those involved especially perhaps Morris.

I have to note too that Morris retired from the ARA in 2005 in the rank of Major. He hardly enjoyed stellar career. Does that say something about him? You can make your own judgement.

In closing I draw your attention to the title of this post. There is nothing particularly 'noble' about war per sae. Real shitty things do happen and civilians do get killed and that is to be regretted. But don't blame the soldiers. They are working under huge pressure that very few of you will have experienced. They can only do their best and sometimes they will make mistakes.

Monday, October 27, 2014

The rain stopping play in Hamilton presented an opportunity for a quick trip around the blogsphere. While I normally avoid left wing blogs as too damn self righteous and sometimes just plain nasty I cannot help but commend to you the post by Curwen Rolinson on 'The Daily Blog' which raises questions about what Hone Harawiri did or didn't know about staff members in his employ.You can read it here Make your own judgement but, as Rolinson sez, Harawiri owes his followers (and the public at large) some answers.

In an industry I have never found the need to engage, the one that plays on lust and erotic and/or base desires of the flesh, it is suggested to be facing new challenges in the age of the app.

Tinder, Grindr, findsomeone, and other hook up sites have the advantage that there is a good chance the pimp and the drug dealer will be cut out, not to mention the IRD.

Of course having liberated, and now equal females, out looking to score in bars and clubs does not necessarily make it safer as the Lower Hutt lady Warriena Wright might have figured out as she plunged 14 floors on the Gold Coast after a date initiated on Tinder with Gable Tostee.

In the face of demands for higher wages for no other reason than the archaic reasons we have had advanced by unionists since for ever, leading to self drive trucks in mines, electronically controlled container hoists, computers taking and processing orders at Maccas, self drive cars as public transport it seems this bold new age is wreaking massive change in the oldest profession.

Is the possible demise of that oldest profession in the face of the digital age and a contemporaneous raising of dangers, progress or not, time will tell but for now rooting for dosh might be rooted in its previous guise.

An open letter to the "prominent New Zealander and former sporting person", Queenstown

Dear Intractably Stupid,
Mr Boofhead, former sporting name who cannot now accept that even madness might have consequences.

The victim you forced yourself onto has now had her name suppression lifted and Ms Hemsley would now like you, you arrogant thicko to face the consequences of your madness.

"My children are hardly talking to me, my marriage is under threat, I am struggling to find work and I might be forced to find "menial work", she was complicit and any act was consensual."

Boo hoo wha wha poor poor me.

You were once at the very top and the bitch should have been flattered, I do not think so in light of what has unfolded
Well boofhead it would seem you got that wrong and continuing denial via a rather circuitous and somewhat baffling decision by a judge many miles from where your rather disgusting act occurred, perhaps now would be a great time to accept publically what you call a 20 second moment of madness and almost every other person with the knowledge of the published facts calls appalling , invasive, unforgivable, opportunistic and arrogant, it would now be time to take responsibility and man up as your refusal to do so might have an exaggerated bearing on what you are now complaining so bitterly about.

Had you just let justice take its course and pled guilty to the reduced charge, many of those you claim are causing you so much grief might have carried on pretty much unmoved if your claim to a one off 20 seconds of madness was true.
I suspect however what you seek to deny and avoid responsibility for, might not be such an accurate revelation.

Whatever, I truly believe your former life has not equipped you for such submission and you truly believe you are still special.
Sorry, all those you complain about as being "unfair to you", are really in the significant body of people who now know all about you, your past, and have decided what occurred between you and Ms Hemsley left you in an indefensible position.
My advice is to just man up and face the consequences of your 20 seconds of madness, it may be cathartic, and in all probability it might be your best option.
You never know there might be another arrogant bastard out there who will support your inflated view of yourself and give you the time off day. .

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Gough Whitlam was shown the door by the Monarch's representative, Governor General Sir John Kerr when the Liberal Country Coalition by their control of the Federal Senate repeatedly refused to pass supply.
In effect the Federal Bureaucracy was without the money to pay the wages leaving the Labor Government scrambling to find a way forward.
A series of rather extraordinary funding schemes were promoted then abandoned including one funded by Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Whitlam refused to call a double dissolution as a remedy, where the Senate and The Lower House would face an election that could see the government gain enough support in the Senate while maintaining their majority in the Lower House.
Whitlam wanted to keep his 1974 house result stand and only have half the senate face the electorate to buy time and perhaps get some wavering members of Malcolm Frazer's Senate support to fold.

The actual mechanics of "The Dismissal" were a legend in their own right.
Whitlam attempted to call The Queen who Kerr wanted kept out of the shambles, of course by withdrawing Whitlam's warrant he lost that right.
When the Senate reconvened at 2 pm the supply bills were rapidly passed and Senators thought only that the Libs had folded.
When The House reconvened Whitlams supporters now knowing what had transpired voted to restore their Champion and dispatched the Speaker to inform the GG Frazer could not get a vote of confidence in the house and Whitlam had the numbers but the proclamation ending the parliament had already been read ending with the traditional words "God save the Queen" to which a nearby Gough Whitlam in an impromptu speech on the steps of the Parliament opened with: "that may well save Her majesty, nothing will save The Governor general"

Coming along after decades of right of center Liberal governments Whitlam came to power and embarked on some serious socialist impacts on how Australia did things but as with Abbott, currently, the fact that only half the senators face the electorate as they serve a term of six years, the vote that elected Abbott's coalition did not win a majority in the senate where the balance of power lies with the Green Party and a bunch of even more minors controlled by Palmer, Katter, Xenophon a motorist party and a pseudo from NSW who managed to confuse enough voters by incorporating the word Liberal in his party name.

1974 saw Whitlam win the lower house again having wrested it from the Liberals in 1972, after 23 years in the wilderness but failed again to get over Frazer's Senate numbers and Frazer refused supply through most of 1975.
With the money running out before the christmas period Kerr who had a belief that the office of GG had the power to dismiss a Prime minister, confirmed by the then Chief Justice, ended Whitlam's commission and offered the prime ministership to Frazer on condition he pass the supply bills through the Senate, agree to pass no new legislation and call a Double Dissolution as soon as possible.
At that December 1975 election Whitlam's Labor party suffered a devastating defeat and it was 1983 before Hawke restored the ALP to the Treasury Benches.

Kerr never recovered, he was vilified for ratting on Labor and died a broken man with the demon drink implicated in his demise.

Gough Whitlam's recent passing, has reawakened the "affair" but full discovery will not occur as the papers relating to Kerr consulting with her Majesty are sealed until 2037 when King Charles the third will be 89 or a late middle aged King William will reign.

So, Norman's response to the Canadian killings is to caution against any involvement in the international campaign against Islamic terrioroism least we.become a target. Well news for Norman, we are, like it or not, we and his ostrich like approach matters nowt to the crazies out there.

Norman being Norman and I suspect if he had been around on 3.September 1939 he would have argued that all we needed to put Hitler back in his box was to show him some respect.

As for the Gucci Sheila. To paraphrase one of her more 'enlightened' remarks ..... friggin useless.

Watched some of Question Time, holding the government to account was nowhere to be seen.

The Pinstriped adorned little man, Red Russel, Back from extended holiday Ronnie Carterton, a well padded Moron wearing a rugby jersey, a little tubby whose eyes seemed to be in danger of disappearing, all conspired to make Chippie look the likely lad I the space like vacuum of leader of HM Opposition.
Damien O'Connor wearing the reddist tie, was that a hint to Parker or what.

Leadership was totally absent.
I accept the NZLP have every right to make a pigs arse out of how they select their next candidate for death by a thousand cuts but why are they not required to do it in their own time.
Joe and Josephine Taxpayer are paying the four Whoresmen of the Apocalypse to take a circus around the country while being paid well above their true worth when they should be in the house representing their "people".

"Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition", that should be subject to a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority.

Then at the end of it all Logie asked a couple of patsys around the melons adopting Hadfields welfare extensions to allow parents easier ways to divert their entitled gummint money to their own selfish ends and let schools feed their spawn.
Material Girl has been frock shopping again, total mass of dash but sadly still little effort to actually help the disadvantaged in any meaningful way.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Why not I milked a cow or I shoveled premix or even I had a paper round?

The second recent Labour Orphan claiming "working in a fish n chip shop" as a mark of relevance to actually having had a 'real job' as a booster in a leadership contest.

Mr c evidently included in his CV working in a fast food outlet in Pleasant Point and now Miss Cover Girl for Orthodontic Correction Monthly is making similar claims elsewhere.

Had either of those two dreamers actually fronted up to a lending institution, borrowed fifty stacks and taken a rundown fast food opportunity from bankruptcy to a turnover that provided a living, paid the tax, given a sale price to repay the borrowings and leave a deposit on a house after a couple of years hard graft, such inanity might be relevant.
A couple of shifts flipping burger patties or smiling while collecting orders and money for the minimum wage does not an entry on a CV make.

Sheesh I spent hours as a wool handler in woolsheds in my teenage years, I dont claim to be a wool broker. On our first farm where borrowings were eye watering and milking a few cows provided our living expenses, that did not make me a "Dairy farmer"!

Maybe the Paper round is a little discounted these days but for gawds sake, working in fast food, had it been in Maccas or KFC and risen to shift manager then it might actually mean something, but Pleasant Point flipping burgers to provide a feed for rich pricks heading to or from Fox's peak or Mt Dobson?

Monday, October 20, 2014

It used to be Government Valuation and was arrived at with an inspection at revaluation by registered valuers working for the provider that was called "The Valuation Department" headed by The Valuer General and had a Minister of the Crown in Charge.

Then it Became The Rating value and was set by bureaucrats working for one of many contractors hired by a local body to set the RV made up of Land value, Value of improvements which totaled to become the rateable value.

By now it was as far removed from any semblance of a value of a property as was imaginable with the arbitrary figure arrived at on historical grounds that only merged with reality when a sale occurred and the sale note was lodged as part of the system.
Such info took little note of how motivated seller and buyer were, the degree of ability of the sales person involved and any manipulations of chattel values arranged for tax purposes , estate purposes, or other sometimes nefarious factors.

As a valuation system it has always relied on a property sale, and or appeals to alter the arbitrary valuation that could be motivated by any of many desires.

As a true value of a property it was as intelligible as melted ice in desert sands.

GV has become a "Rating index" only, used to apportion rates over wide variations of service, cost and access to facilities that may or probably wont have much relevance to what a willing seller and a willing buyer might agree to as a value for transfer of property ownership via the title.

Current 'Rateable Value' has very little relativity to the 'Market Value' of any title although the two figures might get close at times often by chance.

Around 2004 a man raised in the Seventh Day Adventist faith but having departed the church takes a job in antenna work with a contract to work Saturday.

Rolling on to 20011 and dear old 'Mark' returns to the faith of his youth that regards Saturday as the 'Sabbath'.
Now antenna installations have Saturday as the biggest day of the seven workwise for many reasons and Mark's employer made efforts to accommodate the renewed obligations Mark felt to his faith and gave him as much time as he thought reasonable as regards Saturday work.
Eventually the whole scene became a little strained and the boss gave Mark the sack.

Now an enlightened legal environment around "Human Rights" has resulted in poor old oppressed 'Mark' awarded 40 000 dollars in compensation for the totally unreasonable actions of his employer.

Should that "antenna Installation" company fold and it is not unreasonable assumption, will that same half arsed law make the poor bugger trying to make it work be forced to pay other workers compensation.

Is there a Small business protection Commission that has laws to protect citizens cut down by such daft rubbish.
Nope it is all about the workers rights.

One shallow political science graduate with zero exposure to or knowledge of how the real world works might make it with good support structures.

Doubling the number of non achievers wont make that exposure deficit better no matter how it is spun.

It is difficult to understand how adding a marginally photogenic extra tit to an udder already carrying serious deficits around electability in the eyes of the wider electorate,

Grant Robertson failed totally when the subject of his rather unique domestic arrangements were exposed on national TV by Sopers squeeze in a cuddly, friendly, staged for publicity, promo, at a rugby club rooms during the last leadership circus.
In reply to an innocent question that acknowledged Grants partner Alf, in a benign as possible environment, completely blew it out of the water as Alf photo bombed the scene by walking across the camera shot carrying a jug of beer.
The reply to du Plessis Allen's question, "where's Alf tonight?" Robertson calmly lied to camera " oh he couldn't be with us tonight".
Now call me old fashioned but for the person wishing to lead the still second largest party, that for nearly nine years has based almost its entire attack plan around "can John Key be trusted", that gaffe of clear dishonesty is a crevasse in a glacier.

Bringing a modestly photogenic tyro who also has never worked outside the glasshouse to bolster a campaign that is already overloaded with doubt as to suitability on so many fronts, only adds to the charade as Candidate Robbo attempts to sell his significantly improved physical presence to the converted of the Caucus, Party and the Union Rump in a rather expensive exercise using significant taxpayer cost subsidy.

Sorry two is no better than one, it only adds to the whole.
Of course that whole glossy promo ignores the salient fact that as a candidate for Deputy leader, 'Robbo' only has a single vote in the caucus that will decide if his equally shallow "Running Mate" gets elected.
Looked good on state TV though.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

79 years old he has dementia and has moved into a nursing home when he received a phone call,

" When word got out that I had joined the list of dementia sufferers one of the first calls I had was from an old “friend”.

“A Mr Howard calling,” was the message from the nurse.

“I don’t know a Mr Howard, unless it’s the former prime minister.”

“That’s the one,” said the nurse.

I was deeply moved that a lifelong opponent had taken the trouble to ring to find out how I was and whether he could do anything to help. After a lengthy conversation, I told him, “This is what makes Australia a great country.”"

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Back home from doing 'Gods work' for a short window of 36 hours. Spent 100 of those minutes watching a superb game of Rugby. The Taranaki/Auckland ITM Cup semi-final match was one for the books. It had everything ... flair, talent, excitement, skill ... the crowd were treated to spectacle and spectacular Rugby. With the scores equal after 80 minutes the contest went to extra time when the Naki scored 19 unanswered points. As an 'Hawera' boy I am stoked.

Jim Hickey, weatherman, is going to be insufferable for all you non-Naki types over the next few days.

Question for self ... can I clear the diary and make it to New Plymouth for next weekend's final.

Friday, October 17, 2014

The way I see it Nanaia Mahuta has one big advantage not available to the other three contestants in the Labour Leadership race. But this advantage only applies if Tainui get in behind her and support her financially. Tainui has resources (unless Tuku has been buying new undies) that not even David Cunliffe's secret trusts could compete with and way beyond anything that Robertson, Parker or even Little with his Union connections could have access to. There is of course the saying that you cannot buy elections but that may not hold true in this instance.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

As the election heated up Mr c having finally reached his pinnacle, or did he overextend, told the Caucus they could meet in a dunny down the corridor or was it a broom cupboard, as the Taxpayer funded Caucus Room was to become the "war room".

Then following the decamping of CoS Wendy Brandon in February "for health reasons" a few days later Mr c installs Peter Pan aka Matt McCarten as his Chief of Staff, there by placing his choice of Campaign Manager on the Parliamentary payroll.

I erroneously thought that Political Parties were to fund their "election costs" from Party funds and as this country does not have a system of taxpayer funding for campaigns the demarcation was relatively clear, apart from the total rort that TV advertising funding entails.
Apparently not for a cash strapped NZLP who with a tits for hands president and a boofhead rainbow faction general secretary with minimal abilities for fundraising, Mr c's moves were Manna, not to be confused with what Hadfield was converting to his now well funded by the Kraut overstayer TTT campaign.
The costs to be covered by Parliamentary services to enable communications and services for elected MPs to assist constituents and perform their constitutional duties, were placed at the disposal of the election campaign high command center in the new guise of "The War Room".
As Baldrick to Mr c's Blackadder, Matty the supremo election strategist comparable only to buffoon Martyn Martin Bradbury in ability, Matt McC set out on what could only be fairly described as the road to disaster.
Gaffe on gaffe mixed with flipflops that would have made a jandal factory celebrate, what unfolded was possibly the most expensive for Joe and Josephine Taxpayer, electoral disaster since for ever.

Add in the now largely sidelined and only dealing with the legal minutiae, Frazer House bunch who became increasingly irrelevant and in the harsh reality of serious cashflow problems an entirely understandable seat on a dunces stool.

So how much taxpayer dosh was converted to election costs,
Will an incompetent MSM even bother to try and discover,
Is McCarten and his election staff still being funded and for what,
When will "tits for hands" Coatsworth get her DCM.
Will choirboy Barnett ever accept he is as useful as a four gallon tin of benzine for a fire extinguisher,
I did note somewhere the little league Caucus have been 'allowed' back into their dugout but not a dickybird about what was spent, by whom and how much.

Now the Candidates for "Clown School" are not going to be doing what the demented segment of the electorate supported them to do and perform any of the duties of "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition",
nah they will be crisscrossing the nation on our tab trying to convince the deluded they are the one saviour of the once great NZLP.
Meanwhile the one true Messiah sits to the sidelines plotting his triumphant ride to his rightful place on the throne when whoever is chosen next, runs out of gas.

Oh for some Hacked emails or even a few inspired "leaks" to cast light on what is really going on, Sunlight just doesn't seem to cut it.
The long suffering coerced funder can rest in the luxury that it is all clean and above board.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Adolf has always disbelieved the global warming rhetoric. Mainly because all the temperature adjustments were upward and nowhere could one find any analysis of any benefits to mankind arising from a slight increase in temperatures generally.

One paper — published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
— says plants will absorb 130 billion tonnes more carbon dioxide this
century than current models suggest. This amount is equal to about four
years worth of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. The research says
the contribution of increasing CO2 to plant growth has been
underestimated by as much as 16 per cent.

And to think these warmist idiots continue to flock to talkfests all over the world to dream up new ways to flog their hoax onto the tax payers of the world.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

In a contest that could have been scripted by writers of Monty Python or the Goon Show, the latest twist has that Princess of Maoridom, well the Waikato mob anyway, put her name in the raffle to be the next clown on stage.

Accepting that The Dental Nurse might be a little long in the tooth why oh why didn't Damian have a shot at the job.
Catholic, tick
Businessman, tick
White, tick
Heterosexual, tick
Electorally successful well apart from a couple of aberrations, tick
Age mid 50s, tick
Worked out of the beltway, tick
Sports minded, tick
Out spoken, tick
Loyal, tick

News reports that Kim Jung-un is recovering in a Poyongyang Hospital with tight security following breaking both ankles.

The first question for me, did he jump or was he pushed?

Neither apparently, the official story is the little megalomaniac has ballooned to over 20 stone or nearly 130 Kg, since inheriting power by drinking and eating to excess and following an "arduous tour" of military bases and industrial areas strained and then fractured the now under considerable stress joints, under additional strain from his raised "cuban heels" worn to give elevation to his perceived challenged height.

He had not been seen for over a month and speculation was rife he had some domestics confronting him.

It is not yet clear if the heavy security is for restraint or protection as the latest Kim to rule the benighted country is not yet enjoying the illustrious place in North Korean affairs his forebears basked in, in the ultra controlled political environment.

He has slaughtered some who might be a threat and that can create some believing attack is a better defence.

As payment for providing them with an MP who doesn't count against its share of the party vote, David Seymour of ACT has been given cash, a sinecure and some flunkies by National. And, because Seymour is a noob and therefore a sitting duck for the Opposition when it comes to anything related to his sinecure, National has also ensured "Seymour will not be subject to questions in the House. It appears he will not be subject to the Official Information Act also."

As you can imagine, the noob is chuffed:

Seymour said it was an honour to be given the role.

"It's definitely a very important area for me, for ACT, and I think, for New Zealand."

Well, it's certainly an honour - normally, guys from parties with the level of support enjoyed by Ban 1080 or similar fringe nutcase outfits don't get cash, sinecures and flunkies from the government. But it's also unsurprising, as it's direct payment for services rendered, viz providing National with an MP who doesn't count towards their party vote share.

Ordinarily, I'd regard this Rimmer-minus-the-H claiming his sinecure was important for New Zealand as the sort of bombastic narcissism you'd expect from the kind of guy who'd accept such a deal in the first place. However, on reflection, it genuinely is important for New Zealand - examples of corruption in New Zealand's government are always important for New Zealand, and this example of it is no exception. Although, given the examples of corrupt activity by the Key government just endorsed by the nation's voters, my view on the significance of corrupt activity in government might be a minority one.

"Maori are four to five times more likely to be apprehended, prosecuted and convicted than non-Maori counterparts, and in the case of Maori aged between 10 and 13 this is six times more likely. How can we ignore the existence of institutional racism in the justice system in the face of facts like these?"

Premise: Maori are far more likely than others to be apprehended, prosecuted and convicted.

Therefore: There is institutional racism in the justice system.

However, there's a premise missing. Without that missing premise, the conclusion "Therefore, Maori are committing a lot more crime than anyone else" would be as plausible as Flavell's one (more so, if anything).

In the spirit of assisting the Minister not to make irrational statements, here's how his argument would have to run for it to make sense:

Premise 1: Maori commit crimes at the same rate as everyone else.

Premise 2: However, Maori are far more likely than others to be apprehended, prosecuted and convicted.

Therefore: There is institutional racism in the justice system.

That one would be a pretty hard argument to refute, but proving premise 1 might be tricky. In fact, I'd be willing to bet premise 1 is highly unlikely, due to a particular set of circumstances. Flavell might like to consider this alternative argument:

Premise 1: We know that children raised long-term on a benefit are something like 13 times more at risk of a bunch of shit factors like poverty, neglect, abuse and future criminal convictions.

Premise 2: Maori children are something like twice as likely as Pakeha kids to be raised on a benefit within the year of their birth.

Therefore: It would be unsurprising if Maori youth are more likely to get criminal convictions than Pakeha youth.

It's an argument that could do with further investigation. As Minister of Maori Development, Flavell ought to be well placed to do something about it.

Every contender for high political office will have readily discernable faults, the sum of which may not disqualify a candidate.

Four or five, who cares, each and everyone has faults that on first impression must cause hesitation at least.

The latest to nominate is classic damaged goods.
A hair style that even one of my most charitable and apolitical friends described as a fatal disaster flaw.

Add in a very dodgy business background, it is a minor plus he has one but the way it failed and then unfolded followed by his demotion to the dunces stool by H1, best left unsaid.

His way of personal skills management that has him covet a minor celebrity socialist soldiers missus after the poor bastard suffered a serious neurological event was pretty unsavoury.

His stepping up to caretake the leadership through the chaos precipitated by possibly the ultimate in narcissist refusing to accept the inevitable and just disappear and then getting an urge to get into the ring for the main event himself.

If David Parker is the one it is obvious he is indeed the mystery" Someone Else" currently leading the stuff poll very close to the necessary 50% on the first ballot.

No wonder David Shearer is keeping his powder dry, what sane person would want to climb into that snake pit.
Possibly when the collective who must choose, make the logical selection "none of those listed" his time will come.

History records a nation turned, in their most grave and darkest hour, to a man of advanced years and so often rejected he was unthinkable to the establishment, a certain Winston Spencer Churchill and that turned out tolerably well.
Of course not suggesting DS is WSC in any shape or form.

Suddenly a hesitant demeanor and diffident persona has admirable attraction.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Yep - Southland brought their own referee to McLean Park for last nights challenge and it almost paid dividends for them. I was at the game and it became obvious after about twenty minutes that the ref was born and bred and learned his refereeing (such as it was) in places like Tapanui, Riverton or Mataura. I do not know what the final penalty count was but it had to be at least 15 to Southland and maybe 3 to Hawkes Bay - which included the advantage which yielded the final dropped goal for the draw. My son-in-law and I watched from the stand in disbelief through the match as Southland players were allowed to get away with things that Hawkes Bay players were penalised for. Still when the Ranfurly Shield is at stake a draw is a win for the holders and we will take it - Hawkes Bay supporters are good sports in that way when it favours us.

This is a follow-up to my previous post on the state of the Labour Party. Like it or lump it ... in this day and age the Party leader defines the Party. Get it right and you're on a winner. Get in wrong and you're forever pushing s**t up hill. Labour saw that with Goff and Shearer. Is history about to repeat itself? Lets look at the contenders .... in no great order.

David Cunliffe ... more popular in the Party than in caucus where he was actively undermined by the ABCs led by Cosgrove. Nakedly ambitious and arrogant to boot and comes across as such. Held his own (mostly) against John Key in an under-resourced election campaign but screwed up big time in his election night 'concession' speech and in the days following where he refused to acknowledge his own failings. Not helped by his wife's foray into the media spotlight. The ABC's haven't gone away and have probably grown stronger. I suspect his stature in the wider Party has also suffered a blow. Cunliffe re-elected and there is every chance the Labour Party could split.

Grant Robertson ... the ultimate 'beltway' politician. Solid performer in the House but struggles to achieve 'cut-through' outside. Limited real-life experience (public-servant and political apparatchik). Instinct is 'left' and that's a problem for a Party that needs to position in the centre-left. But above all, and perhaps unfairly, Robertson's overt homosexuality is perhaps a bridge too far even in this day and age and particularly for Labour's diminishing blue-collar constituency. Outside chance.

Andrew Little ... solid Union credentials in a Party where Unions matter and in a country where they don't. On the day charisma was handed out Little was off sick. Not helped by two disastrous campaigns in New Plymouth which saw National increase both their Party and Electorate vote. Campaigning on reversing some of Labour's key policies. Puts him at odds with Parker but could work to his advantage. Has to be in with a chance.

David Parker ... just declared. Loyal deputy to Cunliffe until 'he' dumped on him. Doyen of the policy wonks with charisma to match. Some policies failed intense scrutiny. It will be interesting to see him and Little match off. One term Electorate MP (Otago 2002-2005) and since then has carpetbagged around NZL as a List MP. Some issues with his personal life. Probably more suited to the deputy role than leader. Outside chance.

David Shearer ... can a souffle rise twice? An inherently decent man not overtly suited to the rough and tumble of parliamentary life and especially Leader of the Opposition. Not sure he would want to put himself or his family through the washing machine again. Compromise and interim leader perhaps but who would want that?

Someone Else ... based on the above SE has to be in with a real chance (but he/she has only 48 hours to make up their mind). None of the main players (Robertson/Little/Parker) are likely to do anything that will excite the electorate. It is a truism that Oppositions seldom win elections ... Governments, long term Governments especially, loose them. As it stands right now, all that those three can hope for is is latter (six years out perhaps). The right 'Someone Else' (Nash/Davis/Hipkins) and it might be a different story.

It's important for the democratic process that there is a functioning and effective Opposition to hold Government to account. Sadly the Labour Party is neither functioning nor effective and one suspects their leadership race will further exacerbate the divisions within that once formidable Party to the point where they are the 'official' Opposition in name only.

I few years ago I traveled from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in the 'Reunification Express' (at an average speed of 37k). I shared a sleeper with a North Vietnamese General. We conversed in 'fractured' French. One thing he said remains etched in my mind .... "I have fought the French and I no worry; I have fought the Americans and I no worry; I have fought the Chinese and I worry".

Were I to apply that analogy and look at the state of the 'opposition' one cannot help but wonder if Labour were to split, with the 'moderates' joining with NZ First and the remnants aligning themselves with the Greens, and if Shane Jones could be enticed back from his Pacific 'holiday' to lead what would be a populist centre/left Party then, I suspect, National would indeed have a fight on its hands to gain a fourth term.

Put simply .... Labour, in its present state, is finished. If it were a dog (and it is a 'dog') I would ask my mate Gravedodger to shoot it and put it out of its misery.

Will it happen? I suspect not. The wish to preserve the labour movement coupled with monumental egos will militate against such a move ... and National will breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The news that the search for little Jack Dixon has now been officially abandoned will have been devastating for the family. Our collective hearts go out to them. There is hope that in due course the sea will give up what it took ... Jack needs to come home.

Much that same for the Pike River families but that is complicated by the fact that lives cannot be put at serious risk in trying to retrieve the bodies. Pike River was an unmitigated disaster with many factors in play. We can understand the very real frustration of the families but that frustration should not and cannot be the driver in any decision to re-enter the mine.

After years of incidents of random deaths from Ebola in parts of central Africa, the world is watching the current spread of this disease that has raised alarm to extreme heights.

A book written in the last decade of the 20th century by Tom Clancy, Executive Order, both added to the fear factor and hinted at the obstacle to wide and fast spread of the viral infection that has quite dramatic symptoms as the end stage.
Ebola starts out as a flue like malady with very low infectious capability after an incubation of up to three weeks.
The last days of the disease have horrific symptoms of bleeding from the dying body and that is when the maximum infectious stage is reached when any contact with the discharge is almost certain to lead to infection spread.

In Clancy's book converting the spread from fluid contact to an aerosol configuration was a significant thread of the plot to enable its use as a weapon.
That ability could still evolve naturally as the virus mutates.

However we still have an innate protection in its present form but only by strict total observation of serious management systems.

Most developed countries with a regime of safety built into patient contact are well equipped to resist an outbreak, however as with the Nurse at present in quarantine on the Australian Gold coast, careless wiping of a contaminated protective glove on unprotected skin has the potential to end badly.
During my recent "other life" since retirement. primary medical care has put in place systems to protect its staff from Bird flue, SARS, HIV, Hepatitus and other potential lethal infectious diseases that with Air Travel can explode exponentially at any time into endemic and pandemic outbreaks.
In the chaotic ending of WW1 "Spanish Flue" swept the globe killing people in greater numbers than the Great War had, even with its move to industrial slaughter.
Troops returning home to all parts of the globe from Europe took that mutated deadly flue virus with them on ships and although some ships were quarantined to prevent the spread such moves only slowed its progress.
The pandemic enveloped almost the entire world population causing very fit and healthy victims to die in numbers unknown since the Plague.

Ebola in its present form has nothing like the ability to spread that the many mutations of influenza possess.
When a traveller lies to evade basic control systems of course such an act of stupidity can have devastating outcome as with the idiot Duncan who died in a Texas Hospital from Ebola but afaik his infection has not led to any further exposure but it could still happen with the quite long incubation period.

Health volunteers will still wish to go to Sierra Leone and other infected zones and good on them, it is the only humanitarian response that will lead to relief and control.
Just shutting a gate is not what many will wish to embrace however some will make such calls.
However intensive monitoring of movement and in particular air travel coupled with basic precautions will control the spread with the desire of many to help and bring relief but dishonest responses to basic protocols can lead to an unravelling that will only add to the fear factor.

More than 8 times as many people died on US roads last year than have died in this very serious Ebola event so far.
Current annual world malaria related deaths run at 150 times the 4000 deaths counted so far in the current Ebola crisis, 627 000 dead in 2012.

As my late Dad said more than once in response to deaths of farm animals "where there are live ones there will be dead ones".

Just as the first casualty of war is truth, with an event such as this the first big casualty numbers will be from fear, much of it irrational.

Friday, October 10, 2014

They castigate the government for their avoidance of the one true way.

They deplore the dearth of females on the front bench and cabinet rankings.

They have the fourth leadership spill in the six years since the vanquishing of one female ever to lead them who claimed marriage as part of her persona and evaded any questioning of her orientation.

They make so much of being inclusive and broad church.

Yet as they embark on that next attempt to select a leader to restore their electoral fortunes, they are for the fourth time proceeding with no sign of a female candidate. Hell they only included King as deputy interim leader for her "safe hands".

After all the bs and preaching the only names mentioned are Mahuta,who, Adern,what, and Moroney,why.

Maybe forget quotas, manbans, and inclusive crap, how about go out into the community and seekout successful women who have proved they can offer something from within them selves, forged in the real world. sheesh two or three would make one hell of an impact.
Then again would such a person put up with the absolute garbage that the NZLP c2014 revels in as a false image.
Recall what the Bible said about false idols and worship.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Soper has been around the Parliamentary Press Gallery for so long now that I suspect he actually believes he is indestructible. The reality is that the quality of his reporting has declined over the years in inverse ratio to his time spent in institutions such as the 'Green Parrot' and suchlike.

And an example of the quality of his reporting can be found in his Tweet here regarding the Prime Minister being sworn in and choosing to make an affirmation rather than swearing on the bible.

Just why Soper should find it remarkable that someone who has made a point of declaring himself secular should choose to make an affirmation quite escapes me. There is no story. There would have been one if the Prime Minister had chosen to be sworn in on the bible.

Much ado about nothing. Something Soper is getting quite good at. Note to Barry ... the sun's now over the yardarm.

David Garrett has a guest Post at Farrar's on an upcoming marker for "his" 3s legislation.

A piece of shit who shall remain nameless here, is facing sentencing for an atrociously brutal assault ending in murder, on a pathetic homeless victim under the 3s law that Mr Garrett piloted through the parliament in the face of much opposition led by the pantywaist, now thankfully gone, softcock MoJ Simon Power with input from Plughead and many others.

As it is his second strike this POS is facing life without parole in spite of his brief attempting to evade the 3s with a guilty plea to murder.

Many with a crim cuddling approach to sentencing will be hoping the judge avoids what I fervently see as "just deserts".
Merely reading the basic facts of the assault that led to the sad pathetic old man's last moments, where it is alleged the badly beaten victim pleaded for POS to kill him to end it, should bring utter revulsion to any sane person and entirely extinguish any remnant feelings that any sentence be too harsh. Read here.

It must give David Garrett a sense of accomplishment that Justice Lang is considering the 3s ramifications and not letting his consideration be dominated by the BS banging on by the POS's brief, presentencing.

Forced from our parliament following revelations of a young mans stupid prank, Garrett suffers ongoing vilification for a stupid victimless act from many who will be siding with leniency for the thug, who had he had two more legs would now be a puff of smoke from an incinerator.

That said I am in no way resiling from my implacable opposition to the ultimate sanction.

You David Garrett did not just sit, you made a mark in months that outweighs efforts of others who have sat there for decades.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Meg Bates has used Sparks "Give a Little" zero fee charity (sic) website to raise funds for covering costs this poor waif is incurring following the Police exercise of a search warrant at his Wellington Home as part of the ongoing investigation of a complaint laid with them over allegedly stolen emails.
I understand any monies donated and not used for the stated purpose will be used as seed funding for another effort??

According to published information the latest scribblings of the manboy pictured above (pic acknowledged to Radiolive) has sold nearly 20 000 copies and not all of them at the discount rate so suffice to say he and Craig Potton Publishing are ahead of breakeven by more than a bit.

To suggest I find the use of Spark Foundation zero fee fund raiser for this charlatan is a little beyond the Pale rather understates the case.

A far more worthy fund raiser last week on the Spark sponsored site, raised over $200 000 for the brave lady who suffered a head/brain injury when she intervened in an attempted bag snatch from a complete stranger. Bloody marvelous the sort of charity that makes this country great.
To be using the facility to raise dosh for a political activist suffering inconvenience from the not unexpected fallout of a rather tawdry effort to influence a general election just doesn't have the same ring to it.
But the echo chamber erroneously labeled "The Standard" is trumpeting the raising of around $25 000.
That is all fine and dandy to raise money for a cause, however I have reservations around the employment of a zero fee website provided by a major corporate as a community service to reward what may well be proved to be illegal activities around blatant attempted electoral influence.

It is socialists in action so I guess it is alright, sort of in the public interest if you will, pffft.

It is not easy but I will make some observations from the pov of Joe Average.

Last February Cameron Slaters Whaleoilbeefhooked blogsite was taken down in a DDOS attack.
It is widely accepted there were many who delighted in that but nowhere near as many who were capable.

In the aftermath of that chaotic destructive effort someone or some persons, entered the wreckage and electronically removed the vast lode of email traffic that had accumulated in the whaleoil files.

Forward around six months and a published author with some form as a destructive selective revealer of information acquired in somewhat dodgy circumstances, publishes a short story predicated on those stolen emails and selectively aimed at creating the National Party as the sole proprietor of "dirty politics".
Following the publication of his work the luvvies of the left and their fellow travelers saturated the Media in an allout attack on John Key and Judith Collins.
As the public became increasingly dismissive of yet another vain attempt by a Green Party supporter in a repeat performance, further revelations of as yet unpublished data from the trove stolen in the aftermath of the DDOS attack six months earlier, were published by an unquestioning media as the product of a new player called Rawshark.

On his return from a planned trip to Israel, Slater went to the police and laid a complaint.
Last Thursday the now rather compromised author had his residence turned over by five police over ten hours, under a search warrant seeking evidence as part of their investigation of Slater's complaint.

On the revelation of last weeks search we are this week enduring the ragtag army of the left already shellacked by a backlash very few saw coming, whining individually and sometimes in chorus about the attack on the innocent author/victim.

Clearly the almost certain illegal removal of data from Slaters compromised data base resulted in a moderately successful publication creating a financial reward for the publisher and the author.
The Author has made so many conflicting stories as to the ID of the original hacker and his relationship to whoever it was, as to not just muddy the waters but to almost fill the puddle with bullshit.
Then also, what was the relationship with Rawshark and who is he/she.

As a parallel campaign of obfuscation and pathetic justification a few other unrelated incidents are employed by many, sympathetic to the now exposed as even more dodgy, author. Really just more bullshit.
Slater is in a legal contretemps with one Matthew Blomfield the somewhat sharp operator in the allegedly predatory Hell Pizza Empire where Slater has possession of a hard drive from Blomfield's Computor. I have seen precious little evidence that that hard drive was stolen although the possession by the person who delivered it to The Whale seems to be unresollved as to legality.
The second and equally compromised allegation of Slater being in possession of "stolen files", relates to an incident where Jason Ede, a publicist from the PM's dept alerted Slater to the fact that the NZLP official website was wide open and sensitive information was unprotected. Slater apparently went there and copied data and subsequently alerted the Labour idiots their security was non existent. Afaik nothing has been published and the angst is all about the salient fact that a serious enemy has in his possession some rather sensitive data around IDs of donors and numbers.

So in summary Slater's current possession of a hard drive from the system of Blomfield's is a bit like someone delivering a bit of property to someone who has an interest, that has all the hallmarks of being entirely legal.
The information Slater accessed and removed from the public and open NZLP website, was as serious as an open book in a public library with information clearly on display. That he did not publish or otherwise use it and promptly advised the library owners of their vulnerability is a total non starter as to illegal possession.

Otoh, a person known to make profit from valuables stolen by a third party, discovering the identity of the driver of the truck that wrecked the mailbox containing all Slater's emails, making contact and doing a deal to share the spoils by selecting the material that supported his dream of destroying an opposition political aspirant and making a tidy profit in the process, is to be pitied now the Police is just doing their job they are paid to do.

Canterbury Engineering Students have upset a handful of precious pansies with their promotion of the annual event called the Ro undie 500.

I am very upset and embarrassed that publicity has been given to those who claim to be "offended".

Offended my arse, hacking the head of an aid worker trying to relieve the depredations suffered by the helpless trapped in Syria, with a small knife, now that is offensive.

When as an innocent little third former at the last assembly of term one when we were to make our way to St Pauls Presbyterian Church on the Corner of Madras and Cashel streets to "rehearse the upcoming end of term service" Deputy Rector Giles aka Allan Gillies after a strategic retreat by Rector Les Stewart proceeded to warn the assembly that there would be disgusting students of the University selling "Capping magazines" on the streets and we were to avoid at all costs allowing our oh so innocent minds to be polluted with such depraved scribblings.
It was sometime later we realised, they cost from memory 2 shillings and it was all a veiled hint to be certain to have the money ready.

Students are always causing grief to their elders and the establishment and this latest effort from ENSOC has much precedent and if a few precious pansies are offended then they have achieved their current goal.
As for extending it to include supposed insults to Islam and the Muslim faith the best defence available for those so offended is to either ignore it or if that is too hard then head back to their depraved shitholes and live whatever the good life delivered there.

I sincerely hope Ro undie 2014 is everything you at ENSOC wish it to be.

Update
Authorities are this morning declining to respond to the one hundred odd humorless halfwits who cannot comprehend how the young see the world.

Quote of the day, no, of
the week, month, could be quote of the year! No, decade then? Wait a minute ..... has to be the greatest quote ever!

“My
accomplishments as Secretary of State? Well, I'm glad you asked! My proudest
accomplishment in which I take the most pride, mostly because of the opposition
it faced early on, you know… the remnants of prior situations and mindsets that
were too narrowly focused in a manner whereby they may have overlooked the
bigger picture and we didn’t do that and I’m proud of that. Very proud. I would
say that’s a major accomplishment.” - Hillary Clinton 11 March
2014

Could
someone please tell me what she just said? And she may be running
for President!!!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

A couple of twisted tortured souls at Farrar's place attempt their ongoing booting the AB's in the groin as if their arrant rubbish has any merit at all. I wonder if either of the perennial dribblers have ever even held a rugby ball? Longknives and Big Bruv more like Shortshanks and Big Blouse.

Last night in the Cauldron that is Ellis Park, a 22 match unbeaten run ended for a AB team that lost valiantly.
Quick to pay well earned credit to a Spring Bok team on their game, were Skipper McCaw and AB coach Hansen.

To lose graciously by two after turning down Three second half Penalty kicks for goal was a loss but the way they fought back after being behind at Half time was creditable.

The Penalty against Messam was rather less than clear cut after numerous efforts by Vermulen and Coetzee went completely un-noticed however that kick by Patrick Lambie was well and truly taken with aplomb.

Having seemed to have moved onto an attack based game from the mindset tactics that Morne Steyn lynchpinned, the Boks are a far more formidable outfit. That young pivot Handre Pollard is a very good ball player.

I will again make a plea for the rules and their interpretation to be as harsh as Wayne Barnes was on Messam. Heads need more protection, hips, knees, ankles can be rebuilt but heads are sort of a one off.
Dealing with a neurological condition in one I love dearly brings that salient fact to notice for me every waking hour.
Things happen and rugby is a game of contact but the ABs have had Moody, Conrad Smith and Thrush Concussed this morning and Retallick sent home after the Argentine test last week, that's just four head knocks we know about.

Talking Argentine Rugby, they pipped the Wallabies today for their first home championship win.
Again reckless play saw Nigel Owen working the Yellow Card and if Michael Hooper thinks he was hard done by he needs taking out side and given a head knock all of his own.
Turning your back and attacking a kicker's head, landing sitting on his scone is appalling enough and just because MH missed it, he managed to knock the ARGY 10 down heavily and then put his foot on the crown jewels for good measure.Correction
It was the Argentine 15 who was attacked by Hooper.

Hey chaps and chapesses if it keeps knocking brains to pulp we will end up with all talented ball players playing football and rugby, the game so many love will wither.

So that was a loss, the ABs would be better placed with it, the 22 unbeaten is gone, they lost fighting and close and a fact lost on most, had they missed the four try bonus last week that loss within seven would have still won the Championship at Ellis Park or was that Alice Pork.

The Vietnam veteran cohort is a family ... and like all good families we will occasionally agree to disagree but, at the end of the day, when one of our colleagues goes to greet his/her maker we collectively grieve.

And so it is that I want to acknowledge five Vietnam veterans who are walking the walk in spades .... Rangi Fitzgerald (ex 161 Battery); Peter (Hone) Heke (ex Victor 1 Company); BT (Bunny) Tumai (ex 161 Battery); Ronald (Miki) Apiti (ex Victor 2 Company and 161 Battery) and Mane Tuaiti (ex Victor 3 Company). They determined that no Vietnam veteran should go to the grave unacknowledged.

To give effect to that Rangi made a beautiful korowai (feathered cloak) 'Te Hononga' designed to tell the story behind our journey in a project that consumed five years of loving work. You can see the cloak and read the story behind it here

Hone, Bunny, Miki and Mane are the 'kaitiaki' (guardians) of the cloak. They have made it their mission to travel the country to each and every funeral of a Vietnam veteran where, subject to the agreement of next-of-kin, the casket is draped with the korowai as a parting farewell to our colleague.

The cloak has featured at 26 funerals this year. It's latest being at Kaitaia just a few days ago when Brian Senn, helicopter pilot attached to 9 Sqn RAAF, was farewelled.

All this done with a minimum of fuss and at their own expense. It is my privilege to acknowledge publicly the work of Rangi, Peter, Bunny, Miki and Mane.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Nasty Little Andy, fresh from watching easy beat Jonathon Young, now holding three aces and increasing his winning margin for the third time, the second with the humorless union hack for an opponent in the New Plymouth electorate, is now considering entering the Labour party leadership stakes following his clifftop escape from ignominy following special votes counted and released today.

So now we have the man who led the red team to the worst result in nearly a century, the perennial beltway man who blatantly lied on National Television as to the "absence of his bus driver 'mate'" who just happened to be in camera shot while the lying little fag was explaining to Heather duPlessis Allen ,"that Alf couldn't be present tonight", about to be joined in the absolutely bastard system of selection to choose the next leader of the once great NZLP, now reduced to a confused rabble of irreconcilable factions.

This latest contender, well he hasn't quite declared for final acceptances yet, has a stellar record as a vote winner at electorate level.
In 2008 Jonathon Young took New Plymouth from a dynastic hold to Labour, beating Harry Dynhoven by a measly 105 votes.
Three years on in 2011 Nasty Little Andy saw his main chance and nominated for the very marginal seat as a first step in a long planned game to become the leader of the NZLP.
Sadly things just didn't work out and Young kicked his sorry skinny arse by an over 4000 vote majority.
Now that must have just been a ghastly mistake so Nasty Little Andy ran again in 2014 only to be left with the brown stuff all over his humorless dial when Young gave him an even bigger kicking, more than doubling his majority to almost 10 000, yes ten thousand votes ahead.

Now the sad little shit kicker wants to take that outstanding ability as a vote winner into his long held dream of being top dog leader of the shambolic opposition hydra.

What could possibly go wrong.
Well for starters Mr c was the overwhelming choice for the union rump and that carried the day just over a year ago but this newby vote winner has a pedigree in union breeding that could just hand the poisoned chalice to the Nasty Little Andy himself, as the game changer of course.